December 18, 2014 11:39am ESTDecember 18, 2014 10:49am ESTSo Michigan is throwing a lot of money at Jim Harbaugh. Big deal, the NFL can do that, too. His decision comes down to which game he prefers: the NFL or college?Jim Harbaugh(Getty Images)

How it all unraveled this season with the 49ers, his monster organization that last year was a couple of plays from the Super Bowl now in shambles.

Or that his alma mater Michigan is facing a crossroads like it never has in its 100-plus years as a program, and he’s the only man who can save it.

If we know one thing about Harbaugh, it’s that he’s crazy competitive. I can still remember sitting in his office years ago and listening to him describe his style of play at Stanford, long before he turned a soft, stale program into a college football beast.

“We’re going to win with character and cruelty,” he said.

Look, this dude isn’t wired like everyone else. He doesn’t follow any handbook or any guide for best practices or any other cosmetic crutch so many coaches use (or say they use) these days.

I’ve never seen a coach who, more than anything, relies purely on preparation and gut instinct. He coaches exactly like he played at Michigan and in the NFL: every yard matters.

That’s as much an analogy as a physical need. Every drill, every play, every decision made on and off the field, impacts the way games are won and lost.

If numerous reports are true and the 49ers locker room has gone from every yard matters to multiple cliques within the roster running the show, it’s easy to see why Harbaugh wants out.

When a coach whose very professional life revolves around the control he doesn’t have anymore, the only alternative is to walk away. But where?

Does he stick in the NFL where it’s all football, all the time — but where the competitive fire of winning at the highest level overshadows the one undeniable downside: you’re coaching grown men who have all the power in the process, and can turn on you at any moment and take your organization from elite to average.

Or does he return to the college game, where he’s part-time parent, teacher, counselor, cop, and eventually, coach? But the one true upside is he’s developing young men, 100 players who are desperate for direction and discipline and guidance.

In the NFL, you need players. In college football, players need you.

Do you want to be a caretaker who calls plays, massaging million-dollar egos, who in the end, really are playing for themselves and their next contract? Or do you want to be a surrogate parent who calls plays, finding the right balance to get players to realize the importance of an education and growing as a team — even though a majority are playing for their first NFL contract?

Michigan could offer $10 million a year and it wouldn’t make any difference in Harbaugh’s decision. Right now, it’s all about preparation.